EE has announced its 4G customer base has reached 7.7 million, up from 5.7 million since the start of last year. The UK operator claimed this sets a new European record for 4G growth.

The telco reported the large majority of the new 2 million 4G customers were added in the last two months of last year. It said it extended its 4G network to 350 cities and towns over the course of 2014, bringing the total number of urban vicinities covered to 510.

The operator said it also added over 1,000 villages and small towns in the latter part of 2014, taking the total of rural vicinities to 3,894. It said this is part of its increasing focus on more rural areas. The smallest village to be added was 52-resident Elvanfoot in South Lanarkshire.

EE also claimed its 4G network now covers over 80% of the UK’s population, and that it is on track to achieve its target of 98% by the end of 2015.

According to further figures form the operator, 4G data uploads increased six-fold in 2014 compared to 2013, which it said is largely owing to selfie and video sharing on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as video streaming from services such as BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Sky Go.

The telco claimed that aided by its LTE-Advanced launch, it doubled the entire capacity of its 4G network last year. As reported by Telecoms.com, EE activated its LTE-A network in Central London in October, following a year-long pilot in London’s Tech City. The operator has said it is to roll-out the service, which it calls EE 4G+,  to greater London and other major UK cities in the course of this year.